1 – Aliens: Dark Descent
Aliens: Dark Descent is quite possibly the first horror real-time squad-based tactics game ever made. You’ll command a team of Colonial Marines on the infested planet Lethe, which is riddled with Xenomorphs. Unlike traditional RTS games, you control the squad as a cohesive unit, utilizing a “tactical slowdown” (or pause) to issue specific commands like suppressive fire or sentry deployment.
The game features a heavy emphasis on resource management, stealth, and a unique “Stress System” that penalizes units for prolonged combat, forcing you to balance objective completion with the psychological survival of your team. In between missions, the squad goes back to the Otago to rearm, resupply, and reinvigorate themselves for the horrors of fighting the Xenomorphs. It’s a tense, one-of-a-kind experience you won’t find anywhere else right now. Play it if you’re looking for a challenge, enjoy the Alien universe, and also love the idea of constantly finding yourself in those movie sections where the squad engineer is trying to open a door, and the rest have to hold off the enemies, and they all make it, just in the nick of time.
Conclusion
I hope this list has helped you put some new games into your wishlist, or even buy a couple of new ones! This list highlights a diverse range of strategy experiences, from the realistic WWII engagements of Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy to the futuristic, pilot-driven mecha tactics of Phantom Brigade 2.0. It revisits “relic” masterpieces like the tactical spectacle of World in Conflict and the nostalgic Codename: Panzers, while championing newer, atmospheric titles like the survival-driven Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance and the dieselpunk-infused Iron Harvest. If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check my other lists for plenty of ideas, recommendations, and even some inspiration.
Support Strategy and Wargaming
I do what I do in Strategy and Wargaming because I love to do this, and I’m never going to stop. If you would like to support me with that, you can buy me a coffee for a dollar if you’re feeling generous. If you can’t, no worries, Strategy and Wargaming will always be free, and I’d love to have you around!
Leave a Reply